Tonight was the premiere episode of the 12th season of the Emmy Award-winning TAR. For me, it’s the return of an old friend. I’ve been going through TAR withdrawal since May when All Stars finished.
We were introduced to all of the racers (I already have an introduction post for the team here) and then Phil Keoghan came in to get the teams started. The starting line was at the Playboy Mansion in Hollywood. As part of the instructions, 8 legs are pitstops and we have 11 episodes in this season. I do think we’ll have some “To be continued….” legs. And once Phil said, “The World is waiting for you,” I knew the Amazing Race was back.
The first destination was Shannon, Ireland. All of the racers were to get into individual cars lined up at the mansion. Nicholas & Donald, the Grandson/Grandfather team got into the first car and decided to hold everyone up by reading the map to find where LAX Airport was.
Already, I’m not liking dating couples Lorena & Jason and Nathan & Jennifer. Both teams are bound to have meltdowns, especially Jennifer when Nathan told her in Ireland as they were running to catch ferries, “You are the worst person at this I’ve ever met.” That’s not the right thing to say and they almost got eliminated. But I digress.
Most of the teams made wrong turns heading out of the Playboy Mansion. Those teams that live in LA had a distinct advantage and they got to the airport ahead of the ones that went the wrong way.
Lorena & Jason and Nathan & Jennifer, the high maintenance teams arrived at LAX 1st and 2nd respectively with Father/Daughter team, Ronald/Christina in 3rd, but they were sent the wrong way and Nathan & Jennifer got a slow bus so blond friends Shana & Jennifer and dating lesbian chaplains, Pat & Kate managed to overtake them and got tickets on a British Airways flight to London that left first. After they along with Lorena & Jason, Nathan & Jennifer, and sisters Marianna & Julia got on the BAA flight, the rest of the teams were shut out and forced to take an Aer Lingus flight that left later, but took a connection that got them to Shannon first.
So brother and sister team, Azaria & Hendekea, goths Kynt & Vxysin, Ronald & Christina, Nicholas & Donald, dating couple TK & Rachel and best friends Ari & Staella all got into Ireland before the first flight as the BAA flight sat on the tarmac in London delaying their arrival and giving the Aer Lingus teams a small time advantage. Hendekea borrowed a cell phone to call for two cabs for her team and Ronald & Christina, but Ari & Staella stole the Father/Daughter team. Now this is one of my TAR rules. Never steal someone else’s cab because it will eventually bite you in the ass. Ari & Staella were laughing over the steal, but they would find the going rough especially in the last task.
The teams were onto a ferry port where they left to head to an island were to sign up for one of three ferries leaving either at 8 a.m., 8:30 a.m., or 9:30 a.m. the following morning.
As everyone was leaving to find the place to sign up, some teams were given bad directions so they found themselves signing up for the last ferry while those that got the right directions got to leave the next morning on the first ferry. And it was on this route that Nathan decided to tell Jennifer that she sucks at racing and compared her to other girls. Of course, she got pissed and ran off on him. Never compare your girlfriend to other woman especially right after you’ve pissed her off. It never works for your relationship.
So after everyone signed up for the various ferries, the teams all stayed at a lovely bed & breakfast. Friends Shana & Jennifer who signed up for the 9:30 ferry began crying. It’s not the time to cry nor is crying conducive on the race. I already hate this team. There’s no crying in The Amazing Race!
Anyway, the teams all took their ferries back to the mainland of Ireland to get into cars and drive themselves 42 miles to Cleggan Farm where they would ride tandem bikes to get their next clue. It was during this segment where we saw Lorena go apeshit on her partner Jason for 1) not allowing the other teams to catch up and 2) not following the directions to Cleggan Farm. She got a little whiny and it’s something that we’ll have to watch as a potential fatal flaw in this team.
So we’ve got Lorena & Jason and Nathan & Jennifer as two possible contenders for Best Blowup in this season and Shana & Jennifer as a candidate to be eliminated early.
Once they found their clue, teams encountered their first roadblock, one team member would have to ride a high wire bike across a wet ravine with the other member sitting 8 feet below going along for the ride. It was very cool to watch.
When they finished that task, the teams had to go to a hitching post to find a donkey, fill baskets with 15 pieces of peat and take it to the entrance of the farm where they will find their next clue.
Of course, the teams only went as fast as their donkeys would take them and in some cases, the donkeys were stubborn. It was here that we got our first elimination.
So at the hitching the post, the order was as follows:
1. TK & Rachel
2. Nathan & Jennifer
3. Azaria & Hendekea
4. Kynt & Vyxsin
5. Ari & Staella
but then, Nathan & Jennifer’s donkey decided to stop on the way to the entrance and Ari & Staella’s just wouldn’t leave the hitching post. Azaria & Hendekea’s donkey decided to fly and they passed Nathan & Jennifer. In fact, most everyone passed Nathan & Jennifer as well as Ari & Staella who were stuck at the hitching post.
TK & Rachael finished the task first and they left to go to the Connemara Heritage Center which was the pitstop for the race. But they took a wrong turn and that was good fortune for Azaria & Hendekea who got to the pitstop first. They won a trip to Alberta, Canada. I like this team and I’m rooting for them. So the order of finish was as follows:
1. Azaria & Hendekea
2. Kynt & Vxysin
3. TK & Rachel
4. Lorena & Jason
5. Nicholas & Donald
6. Shana & Jennifer
7. Ronald & Christina – she said the title for this episode.
8. Kate & Pat
9. Marianna & Julia
10 Nathan & Jennifer – following from 2nd!
11. Ari & Staella – good riddance! That’s what you get for stealing the cab.
Ari said karma came back and bit them in the ass and it’s so true. Live by the cab, die by the ass. I’ve seen it happen in TAR so many times. Don’t steal someone else’s cab. You may not get eliminated right away, but the TAR gods will come back and make you pay. The right team got eliminated tonight.
Next week, Ronald & Christina have issues and Grandpa goes Tarzan.
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